Classic play gets act together

"This 55-act production of The Peony Pavilion is a precious opportunity and an ultimate dream for me," Guo says.

Inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest traditional Chinese operas, has a history of over 600 years and originated in Kunshan, East China's Jiangsu province. With a combination of singing, dancing and acting, as well as the accompaniment of a live band, it is performed in the melodic Suzhou dialect.

In 1999, Guo directed a 35-act version of The Peony Pavilion, working with established Kunqu Opera performers of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, such as Cai Zhengren, Yue Meiti and Zhang Jingxian.

For the latest version, Guo worked with the younger generation of the company's Kunqu Opera performers — all are in their 20s and 30s.

"For Kunqu Opera performers, The Peony Pavilion is a required course of study," says Luo Chenxue, who plays the role of Du. "I've played the role of Du since I started to learn Kunqu Opera as a child, but I had never performed all 55 acts, which was challenging and eye-opening.

"This new production not only portrays Du as a beautiful woman, who desires love and freedom, but also as a person of strength, who is persistent and fights for love.

"After she returns to life, she faces judgment from society and even her own family. She shows considerable bravery in the face of this. These aspects of her character are rarely seen by audiences because the parts are rarely staged," Luo says.